Nervous Newbie

[agameofyou]

With the encouragement from this board and a desire to drop some pounds and become a better swimmer I think I will be going to my local Masters practice this Friday morning dark and early. I'm extremely nervous about this. They said they do about 3500 yards a workout. I have never been on a swim team. I have never been formally taught how to swim. I swam laps a year ago for 2 months and loved it but at best I could do a mile in an hour. I'm nervous b/c I don't want to waste these peoples time. Will they have time for me to build up my endurance and work on my stroke? Will a coach help with this? I was thinking that I needed to reach a certain level before joining but based on this board and a guy on the team I'll never reach that level and I should just do it. Are my reservations about going completely ridiculous? ARE THEY ALL GOING TO LAUGH AT ME???:)

[swimshark]

Andrew, you will do fine! No one will laugh. We've all been a newbie at practice so we all know what it feels like. Just relax, watch wha tthey do and most of all, have fun! :D

[craiglll@yahoo.com]

I swim alone. I wish ther e were peole around me to laugh at me. It might make me work harder!

[Yardbird]

Hi Andrew,

I strongly recommend that you do not swim 3500 yards in your first workout, and perhaps not even for several weeks! You should start with maybe half that, then gradually increase.

A good way to "control yardage" is to drop 50's during the workout. Sit out a 50 after swimming 2 or 3. Just be sure to tell your lanemates that you will be doing this, and then stay out their way as they come in for their turns. (Squeeze next to the lane line)

Communication is the best way to keep a happy lane. Ask for help and let people know what you are doing. Some teams are more supervised than others, but hopefully you will have a coach who is attentive to your newbyness!

Don't be scared. You can see by these boards how great swimming is! Good luck!

[ande]

"ARE THEY ALL GOING TO LAUGH AT ME???:)"
no not all just some of them
seriously you are where you are
and
you can do what you can do
find the right lane and try to keep up
If they are too fast move to a slower one

when you're starting out
there's no rule that you have to do the whole practice
just do what you can and work on improving over weeks and months

a coach should help
also you might ask some of the better swimmers to give you tips
sometimes when I see a swimmer doing incorrect technique
I'll ask them if if they'd like a swimming tip.

You're not being ridiculous, you just have a few fears.

Show up
Dive in
Begin
Improve

happy laps to you,

ande

Originally posted by agameofyou
With the encouragement from this board and a desire to drop some pounds and become a better swimmer I think I will be going to my local Masters practice this Friday morning dark and early. I'm extremely nervous about this. They said they do about 3500 yards a workout. I have never been on a swim team. I have never been formally taught how to swim. I swam laps a year ago for 2 months and loved it but at best I could do a mile in an hour. I'm nervous b/c I don't want to waste these peoples time. Will they have time for me to build up my endurance and work on my stroke? Will a coach help with this? I was thinking that I needed to reach a certain level before joining but based on this board and a guy on the team I'll never reach that level and I should just do it. Are my reservations about going completely ridiculous? ARE THEY ALL GOING TO LAUGH AT ME???:)

[agameofyou]

Thanks for the word of encouragement. Keep them coming (i can use it all)!! I will keep you guys posted once I've taken the plunge!

[kernow]

The hardest part is getting there! Honestly, I felt exactly the same as you, when i started... It's been great, and there was nothing to worry about! I'm sure that they will be happy to meet you. don't worry about the distance; the coach will know exactly how to work with you as soon as s/he sees you take three strokes. We have swimmers that started barely able to swim, and are now doing the full workout, after three months...

you'll be fine! Let us know how it goes, ok?

peace...

k.

[agameofyou]

Thanks again for the encouragement guys! And now for more questions...

I'm trying to make sure I'm prepared so...

What are your routines for a morning swim?
Ex. Wake up, shower or no? Eat (what?). Go to pool. Change and rinse off before swim. Stetch. Swim. Shower. Dress for work. Eat more (of what?). Go to work (meh!).

What should I bring?
Clothes for work, towel, goggles, shower stuff, sandals, hair brush...what else?

I know I'm probably think about this too much but...what can I say?

totalnewb

[Heidi]

I actually just roll out of bed and go to the pool. I rinse off before my swim and jump right in. I usually don't eat before my morning workout as long as it's not a high intensity one...that way my body switches over and is burning off fat. I eat immediately after though. If it's a higher intensity workout with intervals where I'll be reaching my upper heart rate zones then I eat cereal with a banana.

What to bring - if you are going directly to work then bring all the stuff you normally use to get ready for work (shampoo, conditioner, soap, brush, hairspray, hairdryer, deodarant, sandals, clothes)

have fun!

[swimshark]

I wake up around 4:45am, get dressed, brush my teeth and eat a banana and walk out the door. I usually arrive before 5:10 for our 5:15 practice. Afterwards, I rinse off in the shower and head home. I work from home so I shower when I get home.

[EyeoreSAM]

I wake up at 4:30 go to the pool and swim from 5:15 til 7:30. I don't eat solid food before I swim, but I take a powergel and sports drink for the workout. I have a piece of fruit and granola bar waiting for me in the locker room for when I am done. I shower and go to work---then coach the kids at night, go home and do it all over again in the morning.

[kernow]

I get up around 4.50-5.00 AM, have a cuppa coffee, a powerbar grab my stuff and leave around 5.25 or so (I'm one of those swimmers who saunters in around 5.45...) and swim till 7-ish...

I have breakfast and shower when I get home around 7.35 or so.

Make sure that you have all of your stuff laid out the night before!!

Good luck with it!

[Ryan@ICoachSwimming]

Andrew,

Congratulations! You're taking a big step, and it's a great one! Good luck!

Ryan

[agameofyou]

Well, I did it! Was one of the first ones there. The coach was great and really made me feel welcome. They have a variety of skill level which is good. He said some people just come in and do their own thing. I have a LONG way to go but the coach told me that the most important thing right now is to just come in a swim. Need to build up some endurance and then work on my stroke. Thanks a lot for the encouragement guys and gals. Now lets see if I can make it MWF next week!

[kernow]

YAAAYY!!!

I'm so happy for you! See, getting there was probably the hardest part!

Now, go have a cookie as a reward... (It always works for me :))

peace...

[swimr4life]

Congratulations! Aren't morning practices great!? The hardest part for me is getting out of the bed!....especially in winter! Once I get there and start swimming, I'm ALWAYS glad I went! :D

[swimshark]

Congratulations. Have fun with it :D